Berhampur: Two women died after allegedly consuming gruel made of mango kernel at Mandipanka village under Daringbadi block of Odisha’s Kandhamal district.
Condition of six others, undergoing treatment at MKCG Medical College and Hospital (MCH) here, is stated to be critical.
According to sources, the women fell ill on Tuesday, a day after having the gruel. They were first admitted to the Community Health Centre (CHC) at Godapur, where one of them died, while a young girl succumbed while being shifted to Berhampur.
“The six were admitted to the hospital in a critical condition. People often store mango kernel and eat it with Mandia. We suspect it to be a case of food poisoning,” MKGC senior resident Subrat Das told the media.
In 2018, three tribals in Odisha’s Nabrangpur district died in a span of 18 hours after consuming a cake made out of mango kernel. At least 24 tribals of Kashupur block in Rayagada district had also died in 2001, after eating a gruel of mango kernel and a curry of wild mushroom. The NHRC confirmed the incident to be a case of food poisoning following a probe.